Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain

John J. Ratey

Jan 2008 · Sold by Little, Brown Spark

About this ebook

A groundbreaking and fascinating investigation into the transformative effects of exercise on the brain, from the bestselling author and renowned psychiatrist John J. Ratey, MD.

Did you know you can beat stress, lift your mood, fight memory loss, sharpen your intellect, and function better than ever simply by elevating your heart rate and breaking a sweat? The evidence is incontrovertible: Aerobic exercise physically remodels our brains for peak performance.

In Spark, John J. Ratey, M.D., embarks upon a fascinating and entertaining journey through the mind-body connection, presenting startling research to prove that exercise is truly our best defense against everything from depression to ADD to addiction to aggression to menopause to Alzheimer's.

Filled with amazing case studies (such as the revolutionary fitness program in Naperville, Illinois, which has put this school district of 19,000 kids first in the world of science test scores), Spark is the first book to explore comprehensively the connection between exercise and the brain. It will change forever the way you think about your morning run -- -or, for that matter, simply the way you think.

Ratings and reviews

I am someone who detests advice without hard facts, and the practices and information given in this book has convinced me several times over to implement my own regimen, but more importantly understand why I should.

One of the best books I've ever read. Both motivating and enlightening. Not only teaches you the importance of exercise but also why its essential to our very nature as human beings. In addition, this book is also about your brain and is in my opinion one of the best neuroscience books ever written.

It was the kick I needed to get off my butt and it totally works if you stick to exercising in the mornings. I get more work done during the day, I eat better, I sleep better, and most importantly I feel great

About the author

John Ratey, M.D., is a clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is the author of numerous bestselling and groundbreaking books, including Spark, Driven to Distraction, and A User's Guide to the Brain. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.